NAPPANEE — String students of the Wawasee Community School Corporation orchestra programs traveled to NorthWood High School in Nappanee Saturday, Feb. 1, to participate in the Indiana Secondary School Music Association solo and ensemble competition.

The annual event, held in multiple locations around the state, gives music students the opportunity to perform solos and ensembles for highly qualified music adjudicators, who give them feedback and award medals based on the students’ level of achievement.

Orchestra students from Wawasee were well represented. From Wawasee Middle School, eighth-grader Allison Clark and seventh-grader Abigayle Conner were awarded gold medals for their violin solos. Also winning gold was a seventh-grade string quartet consisting of violinists Carter Ciaccia and Abigayle Conner, violist Skye Buchanan-Kausal and cellist Rachel Studebaker.

Several orchestra students at Wawasee High School also participated in the competition this year. Senior violinist Cassidy Cannon received a silver medal for her violin solo, while senior violinists Kasey Gunkel and Sydney Jaggers both received gold medals. Violinist Izabelle Losee and violist Joselyn Kolberg, both freshmen, also scored gold medals. Three ensembles also performed and were awarded gold medals: Tess Helfers, Norah Miller and Georgia Wise for their violin trio; Izabelle Losee, Rylee Firestone and Joselyn Kolberg for their mixed string trio; and Cassidy Cannon, Sydney Jaggers, Taylor Fraley and Vanessa Lantz for their mixed string quartet.